Stitch regulating mechanism



Feb. 20, 1945. o, FREGEQLLE 2,369,780

I I STITCH REGiJLATING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 FY6113. rm. 1%

Feb. 20,1945. Y Q F L E 2,369,780

STITCH REGULATING MECHANI SM Filed April 21, 1944 '1 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 20, 1945. o. FREGEOLLE' STITCH REGULATING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1944' '7 Sheets-Sheet s Isa M25011:

Feb; 20, 1945. o. FREGEOLLE STITCH REGULATING MECHANISM '7 sheet -sheet '4 Filed April *2'1, 1944 Feb. 20, 1945. o. FREGEOLLE STITCH REGULATING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG- 10.

I AWE/V7019: damefazazzz Feb. 20, 1945. o. FREGEOLI E 7 2,369,780

STITCH REGULATING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1944 'T Sheets-Sheet 6 mam.

I ATTy 1945. o. FREGEOLLE I STITCH REGULATING MECHANISM Filed April 21, 1944 7 Sheets-Sheet '7 ATT).

J P n ed Feb, 20;

srrron momma MECHANISM Fregeolle, Central Falls, 1:. 1., assignor to Hemphill (Jompany, Central Falls, B. 1., a corporation Massachusetts Application awn 21, 1944, Serial No. 532,0:2'

12 Claims.

- This invention relates to a' new and useful 'im-' provement'in mechanisms for obtaining the dif- 'terent lengths of stitches-required for the several parts or a stocking and to .a mechanism for fashioning the leg. As hereinafter shown and do scribed, the invention is applied to a circular,

independentneedle, knitting machine of the Banner type. It can also be used on other machines of the same general characterand those-- cylinder, the mainand augdliary cam blocks and part of the mechanism employed to alter the respective heights oithese cam blocks for variationsgin loop length;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the remainder of the'mechanism associated with that of Fig. 1; Figs.- 3 and 4 are detailed views of parts of the mechanism oi Fig. 2; g

' I Fig; 5 is a side elevation corresponding gen.-

in which the cams rotatev about the needle cyl- 1o erally to 3 inder. Nor isit limited to'hosierymachines.

.' The making of'yarious parts of the stocking such; as thei-'top,. leg,- high 'splice, heel; sole, toe, eta, generally require several different yarns used,

- at different times; 'Iheseichanges-of yarnsand J5 fashioning the leg;

I this fashioningmechanisni;

' Fig. 9 is a sectional -view of a fragmentv oi Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the mechanism forj Flgs.- '1 and a are further views of details of 7 other. considerations. involve; changes] in the length of the stitches or -loops. .I'hat is'to saw.

in the top the loops-are oi! one lengthpin the Fig.'. 10 is a front elevation of another form of the invention;

' le they one or another and so on throughout Fig. 11 is aside elevation of this modified form; v the These. periodic changes, of loop ,20 Fig-l2 isan enlarged view of a part of Fig. 10'; ,length for the various parts have, in theipast and been obtained byraising or lowering the cam' Figs. 13- and 1. illustrateanauxiliary device block upon which the knitting cams are mounted whereby the relative heights of the two knitting so that the height orthe needle hooks in 'relahams clone or both oithe cam blocks may be tion to the drawing surface or the sinker-s may .be' I, g In addition to the periodic'alterations of loop s h'chsracteristleor the diilerent parts oi the eludes the usual base I, rotating cylinder 2, main Stocking. t is sometimes desirabletojvarythe cam block I and auxiliary cam block 4. The l flplength wlthin oneor more-oithese parts, auxiliary cam block is mmmted on plate 5 atmomm toshapeoriashion it to a 1 suitable outline; .Ajdevlcelorcarry m out these objects 'in relation 'togtheinfln cam'block' forms the subject matteror Patent-#213,186 In cermechanisms disclosed in the other figures. 7

As shown iii-Fig. 1, the knitting machine in- Normally, bracket TI and, conseque tly, cam block 4 is urged downwardly by a spring 9. The unaltered without ailectlngv the operation of the tached to a support 8 which is in turn mounted 4 ,on a bracket 1 vertically slidably upon a guide 8..

" 'typ -of-knlttlns itis iessentialonat-leas't, as derside of bracket 1 engages the upper end or a rod III, the lower end or which rests upon a highly desirablegto 1609 length not only lever ll attached to the end oi a rockable shaft .atthe main but'also at the amdliary cam block 88-well and or fashions l2. To the other end of this shaft is attached insadiustments at-both camblocks; This could lever I be done merely by duplicatingggthe -mechanisms the shaft, the other'end' ll of which is provided at the patent reierredto'above hut'this would- -with equally downwardly projectin f duplicatiori'ot screws 15; shown inlll'lg, 3of the drawin s as .partsvand'would create'a-difllcult find "tworows of six screws each, one row being offspace for the additional, niechaset from the other.

[a support It iorrningthe upepr end of slide l1 which is adapted to slide vertically through suitable guides- Its lower end rests uponabracket and fashioning adjustments i'orboththe main and auxiliary camblock's irom 3 a, single fashioning bracket. operated by a single ashionin8 unlt:[ g form-of the invention selected .fror. se aption herein is shown in the drawings of son vertically slidable in guides 2!. Attached to slide "is a fashion bracket II." This "bracket q a aiso-is'provlded with two rows ofequally spaced a a 1 i8 8 fr t elevation of part 01 a circular, downwardly projecting screws 22! as shown in ind pend nt needle knitting machine of the Fig. 8, six' to the row, and staggered in the same "P 8 other thins tthe' way as screws. ll. In'iaddition. the respective l3 bestshown in Fig. '5 adapted to rock "lhe'obiectofthis invention is'to rovide. Main cam block lyis similarly'mounted u on n m the upper end or another'slide 19 which 4 description, twelve plungers. 24 are shown. As

shown in Fig. 4, each of these plungers is in alignment with corresponding screws l and 22. Also as shown in Fig. 4 the lower ends ofscrews l5 and 22 project downwardly so as to rest upon the plungers 24. The lower end of each plunger 24' projects below the bottom of housing 23 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. 1

L Beneath the fashion bracket 2| is a pattern drum 25 which may be of the usual type having,

in the present example, provision for eleven sec-. 'tional and interchangeable. cams 28 of equal height positioned so as to engage respectively the eleven left plungers 24 of fashion bracket-2 l.

- These cams are arranged about the drum 25 so that the rear end of one is laterally opposite the front end of .another in-the order, in which they are used, so that'together they form a complete, though broken, circle about the drum 25 and will raise first one plunger 24 and then another from its .low inoperative position to a definite Since the only support for fashionv height. bracket 2| is the plungers 24 through screws 22 it will be evident that the vertical position of bracket 2| and, consequently, of main cam block 3 at any time will be determined by the adjustment of the screw 22 associated with the particular plunger 24 which is riding upon a cam 26. In this way, eleven separat adjustments of the stitch cams at main cam block 3 are provided by the eleven screws 2-2 and the corresponding eleven plungers 2-4 shown at the left on fashion bracket 2| in Fig. 2. f

Screws |5 mounted in the lower end H of lever l3 as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are also similarly supported by the same plungers 24. Also they are similarly adjustable. The adjustment of a screw l5 determines the position of'arm l3 when the corresponding plunger is riding upon its cam and, v 4

consequently, the position of cam block 4. The amount by which cam block 4 is altered as one plunger after another becomes operative depends upon the difference in the settings of screws l 5.

In this way, a single pattern drum having interchangeable cams anda single set of plungers are utilized to bring about adjustments in theheights of both the main and auxiliary'cam blocks. Al-

though these adjustments areiobtained from a 7 single controlling .source each is wholly. independent of the other because of the interposition of adjusting screws I5 and 22. The position of either cam block maybe altered at will without affecting the other or both may be simultaneously adjusted to the .same or different degrees. Only as many cams as are required for the number of I different stitch lengths need be used on drum 25 provided they together form a complete circle so that there will always be a plunger 24 in action to support bracket 2| and lever'3 and, consequently, the cam blocks. 'Ihe length of each cam will, of course, be determined by the length or fabric requiring each particular stitch length and can be lengthened or shortened easily by adding or subtracting cam sections.

The timing and duration of each adjustment is are in the correct position to function again at determined by the position upon the pattern drum 25 of the cam 28 involved and its length in rela-,

tion to' the rate of rotation of the drum. Customarily, the several rows of cams on pattern drum 25 are arranged in a progressive, orderly, manner to make it easy to remember which row produces the adjustment of stitch length for each part of the stocking so that any desired alteration in any particular part can be easily made.

The number .of cam block adjustments which can be made by this device is limited by the size of battern drum :5 and the timing o f-its rotation with respect to the progress of the knitting. Usually drum 25 is moved intermittently by a ratchet device of well known' characteristics-and makes one revolution during the knitting of a stocking.

Because the number; of possible adjustments is limited, they are generally confined to'the periodic stitch variations required for the different parts of the stocking, .i. e., one setting for the top, another for the ring. top, another'for the leg, etc. For half-hose and other similar stockings these adjustments are usually sumcient since no fashioning of the leg is required. However, they are not suflicientfor fine quality sheer ladies hosiery. For this the sizc'of the leg should be altered frequently and progressively. This is accomplished by a'supplementary stitch regulating device operating independently of but in harmony with that already described. This consists of a disk 21 rotatably mounted upon shaft 28 to which pattern drum 25 is fixed. A section of theedge of disk 21 is provided with ratchetteeth 29, the

length of this section depending upon the length of fabric to be shaped or fashioned. Fixed to. theside of disk hub 30 is a cam-3| the .,mounting preferably consisting of a pivot 32 at one end and a slot and screw adjustment 3 adjacent the other end. The hub 30 of disk 21 is provided with a lug 34 through which is threaded an adjustin screw 35 adapted to engage the end 3'5 of cam 39. By this screw the height of cam 3| can be adjustedwhen screw 33 is loosened and maintained by tightening screw 33. -1'his cam --3l provides a camming surface, of progressively increasing height from one end to the other.

When in operation for regulating stitch length,

disk 21 is ratcheted around by a pawl 31 mounted upon rock shaft 38 which is rocked by the quadrant of the knitting machine. This ratcheting will continue-as long as there are'ratchet teeth 29 on the edge of the disk to be eiisased. by pawl 31. IWhen the last tooth'is reached the pawl can rotate the disk no further but simply continues to rock back and forth without eflect. Since the ratcheting of disk 21 by pawl 31 occurs during the knitting. of the leg while the'pattern drum 25 is stationary it is wholLvindependent'of the pattern drum. However, when another stocking is knitit is essential that disk '21 shall startto operate at the same time or,- in other words, at the same point in knitting asit did before. Therefore, it must be retimed in relation to pattern drum 25. This is accomplished by fixing to disk 21 a stop 39 adapted to engage with a similar stop 40 on the adjacent pattern drum 25. These stops are so positioned that the movement of pattern drum 25 subsequent to the operation'of disk .27

will-cause them to engage whereupon the pattern drum will carry disk 21 along with it until both the proper point of another stocking. During this retiming operation pattern drum 2! continues to perform its usual functions. Disk 21 is idle, pawl edge as the disk is turned by the pattern drum.

To insure that disk 25 is accurately ratcheted by pawl 31 it may be provided with a; series of instance. Fashion bracket housing. 43 is also equipped with two parallel staggered rows of ad radial grooves 4| (Figs. 8 and 9) engageable by a spring pressed detent 42 the grooves 4| correspondlng in spacing and extent to the ratchet teeth" 29.

Disk 21 is positioned alongside pattern drum 25 so that its cam 3| is below the 12th or right plunger 24 of the fashionbracket; Cam 3| on disk 21 and ratchet teeth 29 are o positioned that the cam will engage this plunger during the knitting of the leg .to progressively vary the height of the stitch cams in relation to the needles. When the area to be fashioned is completed, cam

will pass from under the plunger which-will remain inactive until it is caused to repeat its per-. formance during the knitting of the next stocking.

In its essential aspects this fashioning device differs in function from bracket 2| only in that the plunger operated upon by cam 3| is raised progressively to diflerent heights to producea corresponding progressive variation in the position of-the stitch cams.

cards of equal height do not always produce this result and it is necessary to raise one with respect y to the other irrespective of the required variations in vertical adjustment of both stitch cams. This is made possible by mounting the cam block upon a pivot as at 50 in Fig. 13. -By swinging the cam block around the pivot 55, one stitch cam is raised and the other lowered. In this way, the stitches knit under both stitch cams can be equalized.-

The same kind of adjustment of the relative I heightsof the stitch cams is equally desirable for reciprocatory knitting since various factors in addition to the actual ositions of the cams may affect the stitches. Since the change from rotary to reciprocatory knitting is automatic in all modern machines-and since the adjustment of the stitch cams is not likely to be thesame for reciproca'tory w as for rotary knitting, automatic means for shifting from one. adjustment to the other is essential.

A cam block mounting of this character and '.means for operating it to secure a desired relative A modified form of the fashion bracket of this 3.

invention is shown in Figs. 10, Hand 12. As in the form previously described, the fashion-bracket housing 43 is attached to the rod I9 through,

which the height of the-main cam block is controlled from the pattern drum.

The auxiliary cam.- block is also controlled through the same levers u and 13 as before. The I end l4 of lever I3 is providedwith screws 44 in two parallel staggered rows of five each, in this parallel arrangement and alignment with the respective adjustingscrews 44 and 45; Since, in

' this form, adjusting screws 44 are above adjusting screws 45, the plungers insteadof being 'l' shaped as in the form of the invention first described,

are provided with two heads 41 and .48' adapted to engage with screws 44 and 45 respectively. The plungers 46 are slidable in a vertical plane under the, control of earns 25 on pattern drum 25 in exactly the same manner'as' heretofore described.

As in the other form, the adiustmentiof either the main or auxiliary cam block or, both is controlled from pattern drum 25 through-plungers v48'. In this instance, since only ten'plungers are shown, the pattern drum may be provided with facilities for ten corresponding rows of cams. 'All ten of the plungers are controlled by the'pattern wheel cams. In addition, the tenth or right plunger (Fig. 10), is provided with a rectangular foot 49 sothat it may also be engaged and conadjustment of the two stitch cams for both rotary and reciprocatory knitting is disclosed in copending application #526,028, filed March 1l 1944. The device shown in' Figs. 13 and 14 of the present application is essentially the same as that disclosed in the co-pending application with the exception that the automatic means for swinging .the cam block to the desired positions for rotary and r'eciprocat'ory' knitting is difl'erent in form although the same in principle. As in the co-pending application, the pivoted niount 5| for the cam block is provided with two adjusting screws 52 and 53 threaded through mount 5|. The lower end of each of these screws is engageable with a cam having a high and a low I surface so positioned that when the high surface ofv one cam is beneath one screw, the low. surface of theother cam is beneath and separated. for

the other screw.- 'In this way, one adjustment of the cam block can be made manually-by means of screw 52 and another by screw 53. Because the camming surfaces of the two" cams are staggered, one adjustment ,can be used during rotary knitting and the other during reciprocatory knitting simply by moving the cams, simultaneously so that the high and low surfaces are shifted.

For example, assuming that screw 52 is used to adjust the cam block for rotarysknitting the, high part 54 of its cam 55 should be under screw I 52 as shown in Fig. 14. The corresponding low part .56 of the other cam' 5l will be under screw w as shown in Figs. 13 and 14 so that this adtrolled by the fashioning disk 21 already deunder both stitch cams. Since thejobiect of two feed knitting is usually plain fabric, not only-- should. the two yarns be identical but the stitches of both yarns should be exactly the same; Stitch that the high part of respective adjusting screws.

' justing screw isout of action. Assuming that screw 53 has been adjusted for the stitch cam requirements of reciprocatory knitting it is brought into action by shifting cams 55 and 51 so that the high part 58 of cam 51 is moved under screw 53 thus making the adjustment of this screw effective and thelowpart 59 of cam '55 simultaneously moved under screw 52 putting this adjusting screw out of action.

In the form shown in Figs. 13 and'l4 the two cams 55 and 51 are in the nature of two separate suitably guided slides provided'with high and low cam surfaces 54 and 55 and 58 and 56 respectively in the staggered positions already, referred to so one cam and the low part of the other cam are simultaneously under their 2 shown for automatically shifting cams 55 and 5'! ffromone position to the other consistsof a bell crank, the upper arm 50 ofwhich is engageable with studs 5| and. projecting laterally from The mechanism having separate amounts.

cams and 51 respectively. The other arm 63 of the bell crank is pivotally attached to a rod 04 which represents the operating connections to a'suitable cam drum or other timing deviceby which the bell crank is operated to shift the cams at the desired times. As shown the bell crank Shifts the cams to the right, the reverse shifting being effected by springs 65 and 66 when the bell crank is rocked to the left.

'. shown upon a pivoted mount with the automatic means for varying the relative heights of the two stitch cams it may, if desired, be applied to the main cam block 3 also. Although cams 55 and 51 are shown as two separate rod-like parts they may, of course, be combined into a unitary struc-v ture or, given any other desired form.

The rotation of pattern drum 25 has been said to be intermittent. The meaning of this is that the drum is stationary most of the time, it being moved only to the necessary extent required to I bring the various cams into operation at the desired time. Since other timing mechanisms are usually driven bythe same shaft as drum 25 under the control of a pattern chain the timing and rate or rotation of drum 25 must, practically speaking, be accommodated to that required for the others. For this reason, a single rotation per stocking of all of the timing mechanisms, including drum 25 upon this shaft has been found the most convenient and practical, the duration of each stitch length being determined by the length of each cam 26. This is fully described in Patent' #2,l35,l85 already referred to.

mon support for both height varying means'and automatic means for movingsaid support into and out of contact therewith at any desired time during knitting.

v1i. In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having main and auxiliary cam blocks each mounted upon a vertically slidable mount,

/ stitch regulating mechanism including a plurality of adjustable means associated with each mount for independently determining the operating 4. In a circular, independent needle, knitting- I machine having main auxiliary cam blocks each It is possible, of course, to operate a drum such as 25 independently. For example, a ratchet can be provided for drum with double the number of teeth and the par-vi so arranged as to engage one tooth at a time. The drum would then rotate only one half a revolution per stocking instead of'a complete revolution. By confining the stitch regulating cams to one half of the circumference of the drum and duplicating them upon the other half, the same result would be obtained, each half of the drum controlling the stitch length of an individual stocking.

Although the cam. blocks have been referred to as main and auxiliary"'these terms are meant to define any two or more separate knitting cams I claim:

I. In a circular, independent needle, knitting' mounted upon a vertically slidable mount, stitch length regulating mechanism including a plurality of adjustable means associated with each 'mount for independently determining the operating height thereof, a pluralityof supports each non-engaging position and means for moving each of said supports into engagement with the corresponding adjustable means and for maintaining it in that position for a predetermined time and for simultaneously permitting all of the other supports to assume non-engaging positions.

5. Ina circular, independent needle, knitting machine having main and auxiliary cam blocks each mounted on alvertically slidable mount, stitch length regulating niechanism including a plurality of adjustable means associated with each mount for determiningthe operating height thereof, a plurality of supports each enga'geable with one of the adjusting means of each mount and means for selectively moving all of said supports from an inoperative to the same operative position at which each will engage with the corresponding adjustable means of each mount.

6. In acircular, independent needle, knitting machine having main and auxiliary cam blocks each mounted upon a vertically slidable mount, stitch length regulating mechanism including a fashioning bracket on one mount, a plurality of adjustable means on said bracket for determining the operating height of said mount, a support for-each of said adjustable means, means for moving each support into and out of engageflment with the corresponding adjustable means,

similar adjustable means associated with the mount of the other cam block, and similarly engageable with said supports.

' independently operated means for progressively machine having main and auxiliary cam blocks each mounted upon a vertically slidable mou t, stitch regulating mechanism including separ te means. associamd with each mount for determining the operating height ofeach block, a support beneath said last mentioned means and automatic means for moving said support into and out of engagement with said last mentioned means at any desired time during knitting.

2. In a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having a main and auxiliary cam block each mounted on a vertically slidable mount, stitch length regulating mechanism including means associated with each mount for independently determining its operating height, a comvarying the operating height of both cam blocks when the other stitch length regulating mechanism is inoperative.

8. In' a circular, independent needle, knitting machine having a main and auxiliary cam block each mounted on a vertically slidable mount,

stitch length regulating mechanism including a 10. a circular, independent needle, knitting and means ior automatically swinging said block machine according to claim 3 in which at least one cam block is also swingable about a pivot,

and means for automatically swinging said block about said pivot independently of its vertical ad- V justment said last mentioned means consisting offa pair of slidable cams soarranged as to be alter xnately operative to swing' said block about its pivot in opposite directions dent ne dle. knittin 11. A circular, inde machine according to. claim 3.111 which at least one cam block is'also swingable abouta pivot,

algout said pivot independently of its vertical adjustment said last mentioned means consisting of a pair of slidable came so arranged as to be alternately operative to swing said block about its pivot in opposite directions and automatic means for so operating said cams. 5

' 12. In a circular. independent needle, knitting machine having vertically adjustable main and auxiliary cam blocks, the combinationr ot' means 'i'orindependently adiusting verticallyjthe oper ating height oi both blocks at any desired time. a common controlling device for eflecting the said adjustment of said blocks and means for swinging at least one of said blocks about a pivot to alter the relative heights 0! stitch cams thereon independently or the other adiustingmeanl. 

